CLIF Kid® Launches 2nd Annual Backyard Game of the Year Contest With Richard Louv, Best-Selling Author & Outdoor Play Advocate

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Contest Reconnects Kids With Outdoor Play As New Survey Reveals Kids Spend 56 Percent More Time In Front Of A Screen Than They Do Engaged In Outdoor Play

Richard Louv, best-selling author and Chief Outdoor Officer for the CLIF Kid Backyard Game of the Year.

Kids are healthier, happier and more creative when they spend more time outdoors.

Emeryville, CA (PRWEB)March 20, 2012

CLIF Kid®, maker of organic snacks for active kids, announced today the return of the CLIF Kid Backyard Game of the Year. With new research that shows kids continue to spend more time in front of screens than outside, CLIF Kid announced the contest returns for a second year to encourage kids ages 6-12 to use their imaginations and reconnect with outdoor playtime. Once again kids will be asked to invent their very own backyard game idea for a chance to win a $10,000 scholarship, a Marin bicycle and Bell helmet and, this year, a trip to San Francisco.

Kelton Research recently conducted a survey of more than 1,000 parents of kids ages 6-12 to find out how much outdoor play time kids are really getting. Survey results uncovered several generational differences in kids’ exposure to outdoor activities versus technology, including:

On average, kids today have eight hours less per week of outdoor playtime than their parents did.

While 96 percent of parents report their kids have experience playing video games, far fewer say their children have visited a national or state park (74%) or gone hiking (61%).

On average, most parents say 13 hours is the ideal amount of outdoor play per week. However, according to the survey, parents admit their kids spend about 14 hours in front of a screen, while they spend on average nine hours engaged in outdoor play each week.

"Kids are healthier, happier and more creative when they spend more time outdoors,” said Richard Louv, international best-selling author. “I'm excited to be a partner with CLIF Kid in its terrific effort to encourage kids and their families to reconnect with nature and invent their own games -- beginning in their own backyards."

To help CLIF Kid encourage kids to get outside, Richard Louv, best-selling author and outdoor play advocate, will serve as Chief Outdoor Officer for the 2012 Backyard Game of the Year Contest and Playoffs. Louv’s best-selling book “Last Child in the Woods” sparked an international conversation about the relationship between children and nature. Louv coined the term Nature-Deficit Disorder® which has become the defining phrase of this important issue. His new book “The Nature Principle” offers a vision of the future, in which our lives are as immersed in nature as they are in technology to better our psychological, physical and spiritual health.

“CLIF Kid understands parents are looking for new ways to encourage kids to walk away from their computers and video games and get outside to enjoy more play time,” said Jennifer Yun, brand director for CLIF Kid. “As part of a healthy, active lifestyle, we make sure our nutritious kids snacks are USDA certified organic and provide the balanced nutrition kids need to stay energized and enjoying their outdoor play adventures.”

Contest Details
Backyard game ideas can be submitted today through June 17, 2012 at http://www.CLIFKidBackyardGame.com.
For 2012, CLIF Kid is adding an additional finalist slot for a total of six kids who will be flown with a parent to San Francisco to compete in the CLIF Kid Backyard Game of the Year Playoffs in July 2012. Each finalist will receive a Marin Bikes bicycle and a Bell helmet, the five runners-up will each win a $1,000 scholarship and the grand prize winner will receive a $10,000 scholarship.

Contest entries must allow at least two kids to play together and can utilize common household items such as balls, hula hoops, beanbags and, most importantly, kids’ imagination for hours of fun.

The winning game rules and equipment will be donated to Children & Nature Network. The non-profit organization, co-founded by Richard Louv to reconnect kids with nature, will share the winning game with their national network of educators, researchers and community leaders to further inspire kids to get outside and play. Please visit http://www.childrenandnature.org for more information about the organization.

About Clif Bar & Company
Clif Bar & Company is a leading maker of nutritious, organic foods and drinks, including CLIF® BAR energy bar, LUNA®, The Whole Nutrition Bar for Women®; and CLIF Kid®, Nourishing Kids in Motion®. Focused on sports nutrition and healthy snacks, the employee and family-owned company is committed to sustaining its business, brands, people, community and the planet. For more information on Clif Bar & Company, please visit http://www.clifbar.com, check out our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/clifbar and follow us on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/clifbar.

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1. Marin is a registered trademark of Marin Bikes.
2. Bell is a registered trademark of Easton-Bell Sports.